Don't Make These Cover Letter Mistakes - Part 2

Your cover letter shows employers how well you express yourself. It can also demonstrate that you are savvy in the ways of marketing yourself and selling your best qualifications. A good cover letter can entice the recipient to review your resume. A bad cover letter, on the other hand, can nip your chances in the bud. Here are more mistakes that contribute to bad cover letters. To ensure that your cover letter is effective, avoid these mistakes:

Allowing typos, misspellings, or incorrect grammar/punctuation into your letter. Your letter reflects your ability to write and communicate. Be sure your document is letter-perfect before sending it out.
Proofread your letter. Put it down and proof it again a few hours later with a fresh eye. Then enlist a friend to review it for errors.

Rehashing your resume. You can use your cover letter to highlight the aspects of your resume that are relevant to the position, but you’re wasting precious space -- and the potential employer’s time -- if you simply repeat your resume.

Failing to specifically tailor your letter to the job you're applying for. If you're answering an ad or online job posting, the specifics of your cover letter should be tied as closely as possible to the actual wording of the ad you're responding to. In his book, "Don't Send a Resume," Jeffrey Fox callsthe best letters written in response to want ads "Boomerang letters" because they "fly the want ad words -- the copy -- back to the writer of the ad." In employing what Fox calls "a compelling sales technique," he advises letter writers to: "Flatter the person who wrote the ad with your response letter. Echo the author's words and intent. Your letter should be a mirror of the ad." Fox notes that when the recipient reads such a letter, the thought process will be: "This person seems to fit the description. This person gets it."

A particularly effective way to deploy the specifics of a want ad to your advantage is to use a two-column format in which you quote in the left-hand column specific qualifications that come right from the employer's want ad and in the right-hand column, your attributes that meet those qualifications. The two-column format is extremely effective when you possess all the qualifications for a job, but it can even sell you when you are lacking one or more qualification. The format so clearly demonstrates that you are qualified in so many areas that the employer may overlook the
areas in which you lack the exact qualifications. See a sample letter www.quintcareers.com in a two-column format.

Rambling on too long and telling the story of your life/career. Keep you letter as brief as possible. Never, never more than one page. Keeping to four or five paragraphs of no more than three sentences each is a good guideline. Using bullet points in the letter is a good way to break up blocks of text and interest the reader. Some job-seekers tend to use their cover letters to provide a narrative of their life or career. That's not what the letter is all about; it's a marketing tool that should focus on the qualifications that will sell you to the employer. Your letter should answer the question that the employer will be asking while reading the words you've written: “Why should I hire this person?” Answer with your Unique Selling Proposition www.quintcareers.com. Use
simple language and uncomplicated sentence structure. Ruthlessly eliminate all unnecessary words.

Using wimpy language. Avoid such phrases as “I feel” and “I believe.” Your statements will be much stronger without them. It's best to either leave off the qualifier or use a stronger qualifier, such as "I am confident," I am convinced," or "I am positive." Read more www.quintcareers.com.

Read more www.quintcareers.com. Don’t use such clichés as “Enclosed please find my resume” or “As you can see on my resume enclosed herewith.” Employers can see that your resume is enclosed; they don’t need you to tell them. Such trite phrases just waste precious space. Write a letter that will make the employer want to get to know you better.

- Katharine Hansen

Katharine Hansen is Chief Writer for Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters www.resumesandcoverletters.com and Creative Director for Quintessential Careers www.quintcareers.com. She is a Credentialed Career Master and Certified Electronic Career Coach. She can be reached at mailto:khansen@resumesandcoverletters.com.